Foldable door or partition



Nov. 5, 1957 J. J. LAITY, $R., ET AL FOLDABLE DOOR OR PARTITION 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 20. 1956 INVENTORJ JOHN u. LAW), .912.

JOHN J. LA/TY ,JR. f'RA/VK ALA/TY SAMUEL J.LAITY, H

BY KW 1957 J. J. LAlTY, 92., ET AL 2,812,023

FQLDABLE DOOR OR PARTITION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed Feb. 20, 1956 5 M M WW.

511%; J. LA/TY 1T JOHN J. LA/TY, 512. JOHN .1. LAITY, FRANK A LA/TY i IA j in MQR United States Patent FOLDABLE DOOR OR PARTITION John J.Laity, Sr., Hellam, John J. Laity, Jr., Lancaster, Frank A. Laity,Hellam, and Samuel J. Laity H, Wrightsville, Pa.

This invention relates to improvements in a foldable door or partitionconstruction designed to operate similarly to sliding doors or slidablepartitions without requiring space within which the door or partitionwill be accommodated when the door or partition are moved to openposition.

Sliding doors and partitions have a distinct advantage overhinge-supported doors and partitions in that, for example, when ahinge-supported door is used in one wall of a hallway and the door isopen, the hallway is obstructed. If a sliding door is substituted forthe hingesupported door, no such obstruction results when the door isopen. However, suitable space must be provided within which the door isto be slidably moved when the door is opened. Similar provisions must bemade for slidable partitions used to divide a room area into more thanone room, for example. Provision of such space within which the door orpartition are to be slidably moved renders the cost of the installationof slidable doors and partitions usually considerably more than thecorresponding cost of installing hinge-supporting doors and partitions.

In recent years, doors and partitions of a foldable nature have becomepopular, one type of such door or partition being sold under thetrade-mark Modern-Fold. This type of door has a foldably collapsibleframe work of metal strips covered on opposite surfaces by a flexiblefabric or composition sheetlike covering which, when the door orpartition is in folded position, respectively are folded accordion-like.This type of door is supported by a track construction along the ceilingor header of a door frame and, usually, no track or support of any kindis provided along the lower edge of the door, whereby such door orpartition is far from rigid when extended over the opening it is tocover. Furthermore, the cost of production and installation issubstantial and, as a result, such door has met only with limited salessuccess.

A few attempts also have been made to provide foldable doors orpartitions constructed from relatively narrow strips of material ofvarious kinds which are elongated vertically and are hingedly connectedby unsatisfactory means which permit substantial spaces between thestrips when the door or partition are extended to closed position.Presumably providing a suitable hinge between the strips in this type ofconstruction has constituted a problem which has thus far remainedunsolved until the present invention was developed, particularly ice 'ferred construction of said connecting means, the arrangement of certainelements is such that when adjacent panels are closed to the fullestcontemplated extent and continued movement thereof in the same directionso as to attempt to separate the panelsfrom each other results in theflexible connecting means being connected all the more firmly to thepanels which they are flexibly connecting.

Still another improvement of the invention resides in the supportingmeans connected to the upper ends of certain of the panels of thefoldable door or partition which are received within and supported byoverhead track means-readily connectable to the header of a door frame,a horizontal overhead beam, ceiling surface or the like, said connectingmeans being simple to install and yet fool-proof and capable of longlife without adjustment or repair.

One more object of the invention is to provide a unique trackarrangement whereby, particularly when the invention is adapted topartitions of substantial width when open to divide a room into morethan one room and it is desired to open the space by folding thepartition toward one wall of the room, the track means include a switcharrangement by which the folded door or partition may be moved around acurved section of track to dispose the folded door or partition adjacenta side wall of the room, whereby the same offers substantially 'lessobstruction than conventional track installations which permit no suchdisposition of the folded door or partition.

Still other objects of the invention comprise various improvements indetails such as latching mechanism, sealing strips, and door edgereceiving strips which not only for purposes of providing a door orpartition having no enhance the appearance of the doors and partitionsembodying the invention but also improve the efficiency and utilitythereof.

Other objects of the invention and details thereof, as well as detailsof the foregoing objects, are set forth in the following specificationand illustrated in the drawings comprising apart thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary doorway in which a foldabledoor is shown in closed position, said door embodying the principles ofthe present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through portions oftwo adjacent panels of a door or partition embodying the principles ofthe present invention and showing details of the flexible connectingmeans for said panels as well as illustrating the directions of forcessupplied to the connecting means when the panels are fully opened, thisview being shown on a larger scale than in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view fragmentarily showing a portion ofa wall or door jamb to which one end of a foldable door or partition is,aflixed, this view illustratingin full lines the relative positions ofthe panels when closing the door opening and, in broken lines, showingthe position of said panels when in folded position which they occupywhen the doorway is open.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a transverse sectionthrough certain connected intermediate panels comprising a door orpartition such as shown in Fig. 1 but shown on a larger scale thanillustrated therein.

Fig. 5 is a view substantially on the scale of Fig. 4 but illustrating,fragmentarily, in vertical elevation, the

upper portion of certain panels of a door or partition embodying thepresent invention and also illustrating track means comprising part ofthe present invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical elevation taken on the line 6-6 of Fig.and showing the track means and supporting mechanism for the door panelsviewed at right angles to Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical elevation showing exemplary latchingmeans for a movable end of a door or partition such as illustrated inthe foregoing figures.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the line 8-8of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of an exemplary track arrangement by whicha door or partition intended to cover an opening of substantial widthmay be supported so as either to extend entirely from one wall to theopposite wall when the opening is closed, but also permit the foldeddoor or partition to be moved in close juxta position to one of the sidewalls of the room when the opening is open, whereby a minimumobstruction is afforded by the folded door or partition.

In the present illustrations, and referring particularly to Fig. 1, itwill be seen that the exemplary door Ill comprises a plurality ofpreferably relatively narrow, elongated panels 12 which are hingedly orflexibly connected together along the longitudinal edges thereof bymeans to be described in detail, for purposes of effectively closing thedoor opening defined by jambs 14 and 16 and the header at the upper endsthereof to which top molding strip 18 is affixed, it being understoodthat the jarnbs 14 and 16 also include the face moldings illustrated inthis figure. In this illustration, it will be noted that the panels 12have been shown to be formed of wood of appropriate width and thickness.Such illustration is not to be regarded as restrictive however sincesuch panels may be formed of other suitable material such ascomposition, resin-bonded board, for example, of various kinds availableon the market at present, or other suitable, relatively stiff andsheet-like material of either natural or synthetic origin which iscapable of being adapted to the principles of the present invention asdescribed hereinafter.

For purposes of forming doors to close conventional door-ways ofhousehold nature, as well as in oflices and other public buildings, andalso for forming what may be termed large doors or partitions to closeopenings or divide rooms either in homes, offices, churches, and otherpublic or private types of buildings, it has been found that woodenboards of approximately three-quarters of one inch thickness and of theorder of between five and eight inches width are highly convenient andsuitable for purposes of economics, manufacturing and installation,adequate sound and heat insulation, and eflicient operation. Even whensuch doors or partitions are intended to close openings of substantialheight of the order of nine or ten feet, the weight of such doors orpartitions is not too great to be supported readily by the supportingstructure described in detail hereinafter.

In order that the panels 12 not only may be flexibly connected togethersatisfactorily from the standpoint of both structure and economy ofcost, but also to insure maximum effectiveness in closing a givenopening and also insulating against the passage of heat, sound, light,etc., the panel connecting arrangement now to be described, wasdeveloped. Details thereof are best shown in Fig. 2 wherein fragmentarytransverse sectional portions of two adjacent panels 12 are flexiblyconnected together by said means. Opposite edges of each of said panels12 are provided with inwardly extending grooves 20 for purposes ofreceiving opposite edges of an elongated strip of flexible material 22which comprises an elongated hinge preferably extending longitudinallyof the panels. 12 for the full length thereof. One specific form of thematerial 22 which has been tested and used with complete satisfactioncomprises a heavy grade of duck webbing woven from cotton or the likeand approximately one and one-half inches wide.

The flexible hinge strip 22 is held in the grooves 2-3 of the panels 12by elongated clamping strips or members 24 which are of sutficientthickness not only to wedge the flexible strip 22 firmly into grooves 20but the outer ends thereof are rounded as clearly shown in Fig. 2, saidrounded ends projecting beyond the outer ends of grooves 20, whereby,when the panels 12 are moved in unfolding direction, as indicated by thearrows adjacent the fragmentary ends of said panels in Fig. 2, the outerends of clamping members 24 will abut each other when a predeterminedamount of unfolding has occurred, thereby stopping further movement ofthe panels. By causing the panels to cease unfolding movement prior tothe same being disposed in a common plane, folding of the panels will befacilitated when it is desired to remove the door or partition from thespace across which it extends.

It also will be noted from Fig. 2 that each of the clamping members orstrips 24 are provided with a lateral rib 25 which engages the strip 22especially when the panels 12 have reached the limit of unfoldingmovement as indicated in Fig. 2. Any further attempt to move the panels12 relatively in unfolding direction results in the flexible strip 22tending to rotate the clamping members 24 about the abutting fulcrumlines on the outermost surfaces of said members in the direction of thearrows shown on the inner ends of said clamping members, resulting in apinching or clamping action of the inner ends of the clamping members 24upon the innermost portions of flexible strip 22 within the grooves 20.Such movement also tends to force the clamping members 24 further intothe grooves 20 and results in still additional clamping of the flexiblestrip 22 between the clamping member 24 and the grooves 20.

Preferably, the clamping members 24 and flexible strip 22 are assembledwith the use of suitable adhesive or cement so as to effect a firm unionof these, elements with the panels 12. Further, not only do the outerends of the elongated clamping members 24 project beyond the grooves 22but certain of the walls of the grooves are so arranged as toaccommodate the outwardly flared nature of the outermost portions of theclamping members 24 clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. This arrangement alsofacilitates assembly, as well as providing the lateral rib 25 referredto above, and also permits flat folding of adjacent panels.

It will be seen that the strip 22 completely closes any space which mayoccur between the adjacent edges of adjoining panels 12 during allrelative positions of the panels when either fully unfolded or fullyfolded and all positions therebetween.

Particularly when the panels 12 comprise a door used for closing a dooropening of a hall closet, bedroom, or the like for example, one end ofthe hingedly connected paneled door includes a narrower end panel 26which is fastened to one of the doorway facings or jambs 28, by anysuitable means such as screws 30. Oneedge of the end panel 26 isconnected to a relatively narrow hinge panel 32 by a strip 22 andclamping strips 24 which are similar to those by which the panels 12 ofthe main portion of the door 10 are connected. Such provision of thepanels 26 and 32 renders operative the supporting means for the variouspanels of the door, as described hereinafter. In practice, it has beenfound that the panels 26 and 32 are substantially about half the widthof the panels 12.

A typical transverse sectional view of adjoining panels 12 and themanner in which they are flexibly connected by the hinge means describedhereinabove i illustrated in Fig. 4. This view also represents thepreferred angle between adjoining panels when extended to fully open orunfolded position and in which position there is a continuous appearanceof wood at one side of each joint.

Exemplary supporting means for the folding door or partition describedhereinabove are shown in Figs. and 6 which are views taken at rightangles to each other. A pair of elongated L-shaped track bars 34, whichmay be made of wood or any other suitable material such as solid orhollow metal of suitable composition are mounted in horizontalopposition to each other as shown in crosssection in Fig. 6. Opposededges 36 are spaced apart to provide a slot therebetween which receivesconnecting members such as screws 38 by which supporting discs 40 areattached to the upper ends of certain of the flexibly connected panels12 and by which the door or partition is supported, depending-like, bytrack members 34. Track members 34 may be attached to any suitablesupporting surface such as a horizontal header of a doorway or a ceiling42.

Preferably, the supporting members or discs 40 are made from suitablematerials such as sheet metal from which suitable cup-like members maybe stamped. Certain synthetic resins are suitable, one example of whichis polytetrafiuoroethylene, sold under the trade name Teflon. Thismaterial has an extremely low coefficient of friction and is capable ofvery long life. Sheet material of the order of one quarter inch inthickness is suitable for purposes of forming the discs 40 therefrom andthe extremely simple nature of the means for connecting the same topanels 12 minimizes construction costs. Further, the space between thesurfaces 44 of track members 34 preferably is only slightly greater thanthe diameter of the discs 40, whereby said discs engage one or the otherof the surfaces 44 during the folding and unfolding movement of thepanels 12 and thereby maintains the screws 38 centered in the slotbetween surfaces 44 of the track members and also efiectively positionsthe panels 12 as desired relative to the trackway during such movementsof the panels. If desired, for purposes particularly of etfecting evengreater insulation of all kinds, the upper ends of the panels 12 may belongitudinally grooved to receive a sealing strip 46 which may be offelt or any other suitable material, the upper surface of which slidablyengages the lower horizontal surfaces of the track members 34 while thepanels 12 are being moved as described above.

While the flexible hinge or connecting strips 22 Will permit the panels12 to remain in any fully or semiopened position, as well as fullyclosed, it is nevertheless desirable usually to provide a finish strip48 which is connected by screws or the like to one of the doorwayfacings or jambs 50 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The strip 48 preferablyis provided with a longitudinal groove 52 which receives a preferablyrounded outer edge 54 of the outermost panel 12, the groove 52 receivingthe edge 54 of said panel when the door is fully closed or the foldablepartition is fully extended across a room for example. Also, simple buteffective latch means are provided which are illustrated in thesefigures, the same comprising an elongated keeper 56. Said keeper may bepositioned in an elongated, horizontal mortise 58 formed in the outerpanel 12, the outer end of said mortise being finished by a face plate60 which is secured thereto by conventlonal screws. The hook 62 ofkeeper 56 extends through an opening in face plate 60 and the hook alsoprojects through a similar opening in face plate 64 which is fixed tofinish strip 48 by screws and covers the outer end of mortise 66 formedin said finish strip.

For purposes of operating latch keeper 56, and also simultaneouslyproviding handle means for operating the door or partition to move thesame in folding or unfolding direction, a pair of grooves 68 and 70 areformed in the outer panel 12 respectively from opposite surfaces thereofand staggered relative to each other as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Thesegrooves intersect the mortise 58 so as to permit the lower edge of latchkeeper 56 to be exposed in the upper ends of the grooves 68 and 70,whereby the latch hook 62 may be moved upwardly by inserting a fingerinthe upper ends of slots 68 or 70 so as to permit opening or foldingmovement of the door or partition. 7 A

cam surface 72 may be formed on the outer end of hook 62 in orderto'eifect automatic engagement of said hook with the inner surface ofkeeper 56 when the door or partition is to be latched against the finishstrip 48 or its equiv alent.

When a door or partition is formed from wooden boardlike strips of theexemplary dimensions set forth hereinabove and the panels are moved tofully stacked or folded positions against one side of a door jamb orwall of a room, about of the width of the door or room opening will beoccupied by the folded assembly of panels. Where for example an openingof substantial width such as when a relatively wide room is to bepartitioned in half for example by such an assembly of panels, it may bethat when such a partition is fully folded, the folded assemblyor stackof panels will constitute an objectionable projection into the room. Toprevent such objection from occurring, the present invention alsoincludes a simple but highly effective track arrangement shown inexemplary manner in Fig. 9 which represents a bottom plan view thereofattached for example to the ceiling of a room. It will be seen in saidfigure that an exemplary sidewall 74 of a room is illustrated. Thestraight sections of track 34, which extend transversely across the roomto be divided by the partition are shown as extending up to the wall 74in the lower portion of Fig. 9. Particularly when the partition is to beextended entirely across the room and the opposite ends of the partitionare to engage the opposite walls of the room, said straight sections ofthe track are used for purposes of supporting the partition. However,when the partition is to be folded and in order to not have the foldedassembly of panels present any substantial obstruction into the room aswould result when using the straight sections of track 34, the inventioncontemplates the use of curved sections of track 76 which merge with thestraight sections 34 as shown in Fig. 9, at one end, and the other endof the curved sections terminate in adjacent and parallel relationshipwith wall 74, it being understood that the outer ends of said curvedsections, which actually terminate in additional straight sections 78that may be of any desired length, sufiicient to accommodate the entirefolded assembly of partition panels 12. To control the positioning ofthe partition panels while being folded and unfolded, as desired,relative to sections 34 of the track or what may be termed storage tracksections 76 and 78, a switch frog 80 is pivotally connected to one ofthe track members by a screw or bolt 82 extending through one end of thefrog 80. When the frog 80 is positioned in the uppermost position asviewed in Fig. 9, the partition will move to the left along straightsections 34 of the track, while when the frog is in the lowermostposition as viewed in Fig. 9, the folded partition will move alongcurved track sections 76 and onto storage straight track sections 78.The frog readily may be manipulated by any slender object such as acurtain pole, pointer, or the like by extending the same through slot 84between the track sections.

The panels of the doors or partitions embodying the present inventionmay be formed from a relatively wide range of woods, including suchcabinet Woods as oak, maple and mahogany, and also pine and cypress. 7These latter woods are advantageous in that they are lighter in weightthan the others. Not only are solid boards of these woods highlysatisfactory when finished naturally,

but veneers of cheaper base woods overlaid with cabinet wood veneers aresuitable. Further, a wood that is even lighter in weight than any of theforegoing is obeche, this being from Africa, and known in the trade asLitewood. It is approximately only half as heavy as mahogany, yet it hasgood rigidity and is attractive when finished naturally.

If desired, suitable finishing material, sheet-like and decorative, forexample, such as fabrics, resins and the like, may be affixed to one orboth outer surfaces of the panels. Opposite surfaces of said panels maybe finished differently to harmonize with the decorating scheme of therooms on opposite sides of a foldable partition, for example. Further,finishing sheets or strips of soundabsorbing fabrics or other materialmay be aflixed to one or both surfaces of each panel of the door orpartition to further enhance the inherent sound-absorbing propertiesthereof. Minimizing of the transmission of sound also is afforded by theflexibility of the connecting strips 22 which results in damping thesound between adjacent panels.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention not onlyprovides a simple and economical foldable door or partition structurebut also unique support ing structure including effective track meanswhich are adapted to supporting a door or partition readily while fullyextended or while completely folded as when the door or room opening isto be open. The door or partition is coomposed of a plurality offlexibly connected elongated panels, the connecting meanscomprisingpreferably flexible strips extending substantially the full length ofthe panels. This feature of the connecting means, coupled with thestiffness of the panels and the zigzag or accordion-lilie relationshipof the panels, even when fully extended, results in a very rigid door orpartition which is capable of sustaining substantial jarring and leaningforce applied transversely to the plane of the doorway or other openingclosed by the door or partition. Further, doors and partitions embodyingthe invention may be manufactured by simple wood working machines andrequire few preparatory and assembly operations, whereby the overallmanufacturing cost, as well as the simplified nature of the requiredinstallation, results in a door or partition structure which isrelatively low in cost compared to competing foldable structures, yet itis highly effective in providing substantial insulation against thetransmission of heat, light, sound and air.

While the invention has been shown and illustrated in its severalpreferred embodiments, and has included certain details, it should beunderstood that the invention is not to be limited to the precisedetails herein illustrated and described since the same may be carriedout in other Ways falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

We claim:

I. A foldable door or partition to be supported by suitable track meansat one end thereof and comprising a plurality of rigid and elongatedpanels positioned with the opposite elongated edges of eachjuxtapositioned to the edges of adjacent panels, said opposite edgesthereof having longitudinal grooves extending inwardly from said edgesbetween the opposite outer surfaces of said panels, a flexible stripextending between adjacent panels and opposite edges of said strip beingdisposed respectively in the grooves of said adjacent panels to connectsaid panels flexibly together for folding and unfolding movementrelative to each other to permit the same to be extended accordion-likeacross an opening to be closed thereby, and elongated members extendinginto said grooves and engaging said flexible strip therein to disposesaid strip against the inner wall and one side wall of said groove andthereby connect said strip to said panels, the outer edge of saidelongated members projecting beyond the outer edges of said grooves andengageable with each other when the panels are unfolded to restrict suchunfolding of adjacent panels to a relatively wide angle less than 180.

2. The foldable door or partition set forth in claim 1 furthercharacterized by said elongated members projecting beyond the outer endsof said grooves in said panels and having fulcrum portions extendinglinearly thereof and said fulcrum portions on adjacent members being inopposition to each other and positioned to abut each other when thepanels are unfolded relative to each other to extend said door orpartition, said fulcrum portions upon further pivotal movement afterabutting each other operating to tend to move said elongated membersinto clamping engagement against portions of said flexible strip withinsaid grooves.

3. A pair of substantially rigid panels each having at least onestraight edge, said edges having longitudinal grooves extending inwardlyfrom said edges between the outer surfaces of said panels, a flexiblestrip having the op posite edges thereof inserted respectively in saidgrooves, whereby said strip extends etween said panels to flexiblyconnect the same, and securing means for said flexible strip comprisingelongated clamping members fitted respectively into said grooves againstthe portions of said strip positioned therein against the inner ends andone side of each groove and the outermost edges of said clamping membersprojecting beyond said grooves and arranged to abut each other when saidpanels are pivotally moved apart a predetermined amount less than 180,thereby serving as a stopping means for such pivotal movement.

4. The panel assembly set forth in claim 3 further characterized by theoutermost edges of said clamping members having lateral ribs extendinglongitudinally therealong and engaging said flexible strip to hold itlaterally away from the abutting portions of said members when inabutment, whereby further attempted pivoting apart of said panels causessaid flexible strip to tend to rotate said clamping members about saidline of abutment and urge the portions of said members within saidgrooves to be moved toward one wall of each groove and in clampingdirection against said flexible strip.

5. The pair of rigid panels according to claim 4 further characterizedby one side wall of each groove in said panels being bevelled outwardlyand the side of each clamping member having a lateral rib thereon beingcoinplementary in shape to said bevelled side of each groove, saidflexible strip being clamped between said complemen' tary surfaces andthereby disposing said strip adjacent the outer surface of the panelnearest said bevelled side of the groove therein to permit substantiallyflat folding of said panels against each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,544,823 Fairhurst Jul, 7. 1925 2,210,652 Dennett Aug. 6, 19402,579,910 Dixon Dec. 25, W51 2,703,140 Bonawit Mar. l, 1955 2,713,899Holloway et al July 26, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 108,601 Australia Sept. 20,1933

